YALL Comedy Fest, sponsored by Comedy Central and NBCU Launch, announced its first featured show in the 2025 lineup: An Evening Of Comedy, Chords, & Conversation With Noam Shuster-Eliassi & Fouad Dakwar. The show will feature two truth-telling comedians; An Israeli raised in the only place where Jews and Palestinians live together by choice and the other, a Palestinian Christian raised on the Upper West Side of New York City. The audience will see Noam Shuster Eliassi of Coexistence My Ass and Fouad Dakwar of Fouad of Nazareth share segments from their shows and attempt to co-resist on-stage for one night only on Wednesday, April 2 at 8:30pm at Asylum NYC.
Noam Shuster Eliassi will present a preview of Coexistence My Ass – Through humorous stories about everything from growing up in a binational Israeli-Palestinian peace village, to her dating life, to politics, Noam centers her complex identity as an Iranian-Jewish-Israeli woman. She uses her experience navigating three languages and the geopolitical chaos of her upbringing to call into question assumptions about what it means to be Jewish, Arab, the Middle East, and how we build relationships with people who are cast as our enemies.
The show, Coexistence My Ass, is the subject of the 2025 Sundance film by the same name. Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression, Shuster’s life as a comedian and activist are documented by the Peabody Award-winning director Amber Fares.
YALL Comedy Fest’s presentation of Coexistence My Ass will serve as the next live performance of the show.
Fouad Dakwar will present a preview of Fouad of Nazareth – Based on a true story, Fouad of Nazareth follows an awkward and hopelessly romantic Palestinian New Yorker as he revisits his birthplace for the first time. Little does he know, the supposed homeland that awaits him in Nazareth is an Americanized summer camp, full of the kind of summer camp temptations that would overwhelm any 17 year old, including prom nights, love triangles, and tug-of-war-crimes— On top of the border patrol interrogations, second class citizenship, and militarized occupation. Featuring an Arabic infused pop-punk score, this darkly comedic musical asks us all to question: is “homeland” found in a place, in a people, or from within?
Directed by Sivan Battat and music directed by Ben Covello, Fouad of Nazareth was performed off-Broadway at The Public Theater in New York City in February 2024. Battat and Covello will return with Dakwar to present the show at YALL Comedy Fest.
After previewing their shows, Shuster and Dakwar will sit down to discuss their comedy and advocacy work, presenting the audience with a frank conversation on art, war, and resistance.
Tickets to An Evening Of Comedy, Chords, & Conversation With Noam Shuster-Eliassi & Fouad Dakwar are on sale now for $25. Audiences can choose to buy individual tickets or festival passes for the full festival or just a day. Visit yallcomedyfest.com to make a purchase.
YALL Comedy Fest is the first and only comedy festival that celebrates the power of humor to change the world. Showcasing a diverse community of Yes, And…Laughter Lab creators, YALL Comedy Fest spotlights the best comedy writers and performers who take on social justice issues while making us laugh. From pitches to table reads to stand-up, sketches, and more, YALL Comedy Fest is the place to discover some of the most talented creators in the industry for three days of next-level comedy. Comedy can change the world… to see how, come grab a drink and see a show with us at YALL Comedy Fest 2025.
YALL Comedy Fest takes place Wednesday, April 2, Thursday, April 3, and Friday, April 4 at Asylum NYC (123 E 24th Street, NY, NY).
Yes, And… Laughter Lab is a competitive incubation lab, pitch program and showcase that uplifts the best comedy writers and performers creating new comedy about topics that matter, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrant, Muslim, LGBTQ, and women creators. Follow Yes, And… Laughter Lab on Twitter/X and Instagram at @YALLcomedy.
The Yes, And… Laughter Lab is generously supported by Doris Duke Foundation’s Building Bridges Program, MacArthur Foundation, Pop Culture Collaborative, Open Society Foundations, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
